A Link to Murder
by Roger Callibros
Summary: The Ice Climbers are murdered, and Link is accused! Did he really do it?
1. Climbing accident

--- Disclaimer: I do not own Nintendo, Super Smash Bros. Melee, or anything else referenced in this story, except for possibly the word "microphone".  
  
If this story offends you, since people are going to die in it, and they may or may not be your favorite character, please refrain from notifying me, because it makes me a happier person. ---  
  
Samus was the first to find them. Nana and Popo were in their room, bludgeoned to death. They each held their hammers in their hands, which had blood on them. She called the rest of the Smash crew into their room.  
"Damn.." Fox said when he arrived.  
"Looks like they got in a fatal disagreement, or something." Luigi said, studying the bodies. Samus scanned them with her visor.  
"The wounds don't look like mallet wounds. They're too thin.. Like they were beaten with a crowbar, or something like that. A long stick, maybe. I'm not entirely sure." They turned around as Dr. Mario entered. He kneeled beside Nana, pulling out some medical instruments. After a moment, he turned around.  
"She was beaten to death. Probably Popo, too. The marks look the same on each body. Something flat, but blunt." He said grimly. The rest of them just looked at the bodies in sadness. Samus was trying to formulate a theory. Who would want the Ice Climbers killed? They had recently beaten Link in an exhibition match, but what weapon could he have used? Maybe a boomerang, but the marks didn't look quite like that. Oh, well. She could work on it later. The Master Hand has said there would still be matches today.  
  
Mr. Game & Watch headed downstairs. Link had challenged him a while ago, and today was the day they would fight. He now stood before the door leading to the arena. He could hear the crowd muttering through the door, and knew that Link was directly across from him, the length of the arena away. Suddenly, the Master Hand, who was currently changed into his human form, spoke on the microphone.  
"Greetings, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the Arena!!" Cheers rose up from the crowd.  
"Now today, for our first match, we have two very fierce competitors. On my left, weighing in at about 150 pounds, the green-clad kokiri, and protector of Hyrule, Link!" The crowd roared again, and Link walked out onto the platform. It was plain right now, but when the match started, it would randomly change. He swung his sword around some, and slammed it into the ground. This was well received by the audience.  
"And to my right, weighing in at a very light 15 pounds, the master of Flat Zone, the flat, but very powerful, Mr. Game & Watch!!" Game & Watch walked out onto the platform. He rang his bell a couple times, and leapt around.  
"Alright, fighters, to your positions!" They both stood at either end of the platform. The bridges retracted back into the walls, and the thrusters kicked up on the platform almost simultaneously, so it didn't move a bit.  
"Put on the belts!" Both Link and Mr. Game & Watch put on a special resurrection belt, that would keep them from dying by repairing them at a cellular level, and teleporting them back to the arena the moment before they hit the ground, if they fell off. It also counted how many times this happened, and after a set number of teleports, it returned them to the inside of the building.  
"The match is set, 1 stock, and a random stage, chosen by the computer." Master Hand announced. The area blackened, and when it lit up again, the appeared to be in space, unable to see the audience any longer, but the audience could see them. This was to keep their attention fully on the match, with no distractions from outside.  
It was just them, no platforms, or anything. Master Hand began counting down.  
"3.."  
"2.."  
"1.."  
"Go!" Link and Game & Watch leapt at each other instantly. Link had his sword out, and slashed at him. Game & Watch dodged, and pulled a frying pan out of thin air. He made bacon appear in it, and flung the bacon at Link, burning his tunic, and him.  
Game & Watch tackled Link, taking him to the ground, but Link recovered quickly, and slashed again, this time hitting him. He threw Game & Watch back, then ran at him. The instant he was up, Link whipped out his hook-shot, and grappled Game & Watch, kicking him repeatedly before slamming him down into the ground. Game & Watch landed next to Link, and pulled out a can of gas, spraying Link. Link choked on the gas, stumbling backwards. Game & Watch stepped forward, but Link was prepared. He whipped his right arm forward, and caught Game & Watch right in the stomach. He leapt up above Game & Watch, aimed his sword down, and pierced it through him. Mr. Game & Watch faded out, and Link stood up, twirling his sword around a bit before sheathing it.  
"And, with a very quick 23 seconds, the match is over! Link is declared the winner!" The stage reappeared, alond with the crowd. Link waved at them, then walked down the bridge, and through the door, smiling. He always loved the thrill of victory. However, on the other side of the door, a man clad in black robes and armor, except for a small yellow gem on his armor, and a sword on his back, stood waiting for him.  
"Well, well. Nice show, Link." The man said, no emotion in his voice.  
"What do you want, Marth?" Link said, a bit of annoyance in his.  
"So quick to the bottom line these days. Can't we have a conversation like we used to?"  
"Marth, we never used to talk. You know that. Now, what do you want?"  
Marth nodded. "Very well. I've come investigating the murder. The Master Hand has put Samus and myself in charge of looking over it. Now, from what I understand, both of them thrashed you in an exhibition match not too long ago, correct?"  
Link looked at him in partial surprise. "Well, yeah, but... you think I did it? I didn't do it! I wouldn't murder them just because they beat me!"  
Marth just watched him, and shrugged after a slight pause. "Hmm. Well, I'm not accusing you just yet, so don't worry about it. I'm just saying, suspicious behavior would not be a good idea at this point in time. That's all." Marth didn't even wait for a reply before turning and walking off down the hallway, his cape billowing behind him. Link just watched, bewildered. Did they really think he had murdered them? 


	2. A Fight to Remember

- Disclaimer: I again do not own Super Smash Bros., Nintendo, or pretty much anything else referenced in this story.  
  
At this point in time, I would like to apologize for what I previously said. It was very rude of me. I do, in fact, not own the word "microphone". Again, I apologize. –  
  
"Any luck?" She asked him.  
"Nah. I questioned Link, and he looked pretty guilty, but the Master Hand doesn't want "looks guilty", so I'm still empty-handed."  
Samus combed her hair out. She really didn't feel too comfortable having her helmet off near anyone but Marth. Somehow, she felt better when he was around.  
"I'm sorry to hear, Marth. I just can't believe it happened. I mean, I don't think even Bowser is evil enough to do something like that. It's just horrible." She put her brush down, forced her hair down the back of her suit, and put her helmet back on. Marth looked at her.  
"Where are you going?" He asked as he hung his cape and sword up.  
"Oh, Zelda and I are going to go train, probably in Hyrule Temple. One of these days, I'm going to convince her to fight me in Brinstar Depths. Then we'll see who's got home court advantage." She smiled at him.  
Marth returned the smiled. "Alright. Fight safe." Samus laughed, and walked out of the room. Marth sighed, falling backwards on the bed.  
"Well, if she's going to train with her friends tonight," Marth said aloud. "then I wonder what Roy is doing."  
  
Roy showed up about five minutes after Marth did. Roy and Marth had been friends ever since they met, seven years ago. After a few fights, it had been apparent they had trained under similar masters, and had since then taken up a friendly rivalry to see who could master the style first.  
After preparing the match, and setting it up on Onett, between two houses, they began the fight.  
"So, how'd your day go? What did the Master Hand have you do?"  
Marth leapt on a rooftop, then at Roy. They hit each other in midair, and landed on a very flimsy platform. "Well, I have to go around and attempt to solve the murder of Nana and Popo. He's letting Samus work with me, but only because we're together. Honestly, I don't know what he has against her."  
Roy back flipped, dodging a low swing from Marth. After a few more misses on both sides, Roy spoke again.  
"I really don't know. I think she's a great woman. And she can fight, too. You know, come to think of it, I don't think I've ever beaten her before." He charged Marth. Marth Side-stepped, and brought down a shield breaker down on Roy, hitting him in the shoulder. Roy leapt up on another roof, and Marth gave chase.  
"I've only ever beaten her once, and that was on our first date. Then again, she had fought against Mewtwo that day, so I think she was pretty drained when we fought. But after that, I never won again." Roy leapt backwards in mid-air, a skill which took a lot of practice to perfect, and Marth was temporarily thrown off track. Roy leapt again, giving two mid-air slices, and hit Marth, sending him back against a building.  
"So, about the murder. Any leads?" Marth air dodged a powerful swing by Roy, and, after landing, came up with a dolphin slash, knocking Roy off his feet.  
"Well, unofficially, yes. Link's looking pretty suspicious. You should have seen the way he denied having anything to do with the murder. I don't know for certain, but based on his expressions alone, I'd say he did it." Marth turned to the sound of a horn, and noticed a car coming their way at high speeds. He back flipped over it, however, Roy was not so lucky. The car hit him, causing it to spin out of control, and sending Roy flying out of the stadium bounds. Marth laughed and walked over, helping Roy up.  
"I hate that car.." He groaned as he rose, stretching his back.  
"So, want to go again, or call it a night?" Marth suggested, adding, "For fighting, at least."  
Roy looked at him. "Smash pub?" Marth just nodded, grinning.  
"Alright.  
  
In the morning Zelda awoke with a start. She looked around her room. Nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe it was just the late night fight with Samus that had gotten her riled up. Yeah, that was probably it. She recalled their conversation.  
  
"Hey Samus! How's it going?" She asked.  
Samus shrugged. "Not too bad, not too bad. You remember when the Master Hand called me in this morning? He asked Marth and myself to investigate the murder of Popo and Nana. I questioned a few people, including Peach and Ness. Marth seems to think it's Link that did it, but it's probably nothing."  
Zelda seemed a bit taken aback by that, however, she also wasn't entirely surprised. "Well, you know, Link has seemed a bit odd lately."  
Samus frowned, studying her. "Odd how?"  
"Well, he's become a lot more sword happy as of late. Anything that pisses him off, and his sword is out and ready. And since the Ice Climbers did kind of disgrace him.. well, I hate to say this, but it may actually have been him."  
Samus shook her head. "No, no, it couldn't have been him. This person used a blunt object. He beat them to death. Link couldn't have wielded a blunt object so proficiently as to murder the Ice Climbers with one."  
Zelda thought about that for a moment. "That's true. But.. he could have used the flat edge of the sword. That would probably get the job done just as well." She looked up at Samus' face, which was hidden by the gleam in her mask, but Samus was thinking intently. What if Zelda was right? Link could have used the flat edge of his sword so as not to be an immediate suspect, but instead incriminate someone else.  
  
The fight hadn't really been that good, Zelda remembered, even after she had changed to Sheik. It was like they both had their minds on the murder now, and both of them were stuck on one decision. Link had done it. Somehow, Link had come up with the ingenious plan, and executed it.  
However, Zelda could have sword Link was next to the bed, sword on the ready, as if he were going to stab her through the heart and be done with her. Zelda wondered what the first things out of her mouth were going to be when she met Link today. She hoped she didn't ruin anything. He was still a good friend, and a great kisser.  
She rose, putting on her white robes. She linked these ones the best, and apparently, so did Link. After freshening up a bit, she walked out of her room, and into the main dining area. Both Marth and Samus were there, but they weren't eating, just discussing. Probably the Ice Climbers incident.  
Zelda got a plate, and helped herself to some scrambled eggs and bacon. She was about to sit down when she glanced over at Samus, who beckoned her to sit with them. She nodded, and walked over.  
"Hey Zelda." Samus said once she had sat down. "How'd you sleep?"  
"Ugh, not well. Horrible dreams." She took a bite of bacon.  
"Sorry to hear it. Say, have you seen Link today?"  
Zelda shook her head. "No, I just got up."  
"Marth nodded. "Alright. Well, if you see him, let him know we're dueling today."  
Zelda looked at him with shock. "You're dueling? The Master Hand is letting Link duel?"  
Marth nodded again. "Yeah, he said that without probable cause, we have no reason to suspect Link of having done a thing, therefore, he is still allowed to duel. And we're dueling today."  
"If I see him, I'll let him know. How much has it brought in?"  
"I'm guessing about seventy-five thousand dollars. I don't think it'll go much higher, since it's in a couple minutes, but then again, you never know."  
Samus looked up as Fox and Falco entered the cafeteria. Fox was soaking wet, and Falco seemed to be having a hard time not laughing about it. Samus returned her attention to the conversation going on.  
"Just, be careful, Marth. I'm not saying it was him, just.. if it was, then we're not sure how much he's capable of."  
Marth smiled. "Oh, don't worry, Sam. Link's not that strong. I'll devastate him."  
"I'm serious, Marth. He is a potentially dangerous person. If you get yourself killed, I will be so pissed at you."  
Marth quit smiling. "Alright, I'll be careful." Suddenly, the intercom blared.  
"Would Marth and Link please report to the arena. The duel is about to begin."  
Marth rose. "That's new. I guess you won't need to tell him."  
  
Link was just putting on his hood when he heard the broadcast. _Hmm, I didn't know we had a duel.. and since when have they been announced on the intercom? Aren't we supposed to get little slips of paper under our door?_ He looked at himself in the mirror. He liked the black uniform. It looked great on him.  
He trotted down to the arena, since it was a considerable distance away. He got to his side, which was, fortunately, the closer of the two, and stepped inside the preparation room. He used the video screen to see what kind of audience they had brought it.  
The seats were packed.  
There were people all over, crowding to see this fight. On a number of occasions, he noticed multiple people in one seat. He had never, in the history of fights he'd seen, seen a crowd like this. It was almost unbelievable.  
Just then, the Master Hand announced. "Ladies and gentlemen, for your viewing pleasure, we have two of the best swordsmen in the galaxy, and pitted them head-to-head in a 3 stock, no time limit duel!" The crowd went nuts. It was almost hard to think over the noise.  
"To my left," Shouted the Master Hand, enthusiastic about the money that had been brought in. "the swordsman with a heart of steel, and armor to match, the bearer of the sword emblem, let's give it up for Marth!!" The crowd cheered again. Marth walked out to the center, twirled his sword around, and finally sheathed it again. The crowd didn't even consider dying down for at least a minute and a half.  
"And, to my right, the Kokiri warrior, defender of Hyrule, wielder of the Master Sword, and Hero of Time, let's hear it for Link!!" Link walked out as the door opened. He'd thought he was prepared for the audience, but he was dead wrong. They surrounded him, making as much noise as two or three very loud jets. He leapt in the air, spinning with his sword out, to get him even higher, then brought it straight down into the ground with a loud THUD! He got the exact same response Marth did.  
It was then that Link looked at Marth. Looked into his eyes. He could tell that there was something about him that wasn't quite normal. Then he remembered Marth accusing him of the murder of Nana and Popo. Maybe Marth thought he was going to try to murder him. Link shook the feeling off. It was probably just nervousness. After all, this was a huge audience. Screw up today, and many people would be seeing it live.  
"The competitors today will be fighting in Hyrule Temple. They will fight until one is defeated, and other than that, there are no rules." The crowd went silent for once. The bridges began retracting as the arena's thrusters kicked in, keeping it in mid-air.  
The surroundings went dark again, and, as they became more visible, they could tell that they were in fact dueling in Hyrule. The Master Hand counted down.  
"Ready... GO!!!" Fast as lightning, the two leapt at each other, swords ready to take each other's heads off.  
  
Samus watched in the fighter's podium, which was the best seat you could get in the entire auditorium. Unfortunately, you had to be a competitor to get it.  
She watched nervously as the two went at it. Marth readied himself for an attack, and, sure enough, Link leapt at him. Marth easily parried, then riposted with an attack of his own, sending Link tumbling back. He landed on his hands, back flipping a small distance, and rushing forward again. Marth tried to jump, but Link shot his hook-shot out, connecting with Marth. Link pulled him back, and slashed upward, causing Samus to flinch.  
Samus scolded herself mentally. _Marth has been in hundreds of fights, he can take a hit. Stop being so nervous about him. There's no real proof that Link even did anything._ She returned her attention to the game.  
Back on the playing field, things were going in Marth's favor. He picked Link up, and slammed him into the ground. After sidestepping back a bit, he brought a shield breaker down on Link. Link flew across the arena, but managed to grab hold of the edge, crawling back up. Marth ran after him, leaping across the field until he was within range, then slashed downward, slamming Link into the ground again. A quick slash took Link out for the first time.  
Link appeared again, coming down on the revival platform. This was a bit more dangerous than the belts, fully relying on the platform to rescue you, but the crowd liked it more, so sometimes the Master Hand had it done. Link dropped off the platform, drawing his sword. He blocked Marth's oncoming attack, and tried to return it, but Marth sidestepped behind him. Before he could again, Link struck at his legs, taking Marth to the ground, then he brought an overhead slash at him. Marth flew quite a distance, but landed. He leapt, then fell through some platforms, entering a small cavern- like area. Link quickly followed him.  
Marth used a dolphin slash the instant Link was within range, sending Link back up. He fell through the platforms again, and dodged an air attack, landing and flinging his boomerang at Marth. Marth leapt over it, turned, and back flipped almost as soon as he landed, dodging it again. He ran forward, not wanting to let Link keep him at a distance with his ranged attacks, and swung downward. Link took a minor hit, but recovered rapidly, and again lashed out with his hook-shot. After hooking him, Link tossed Marth backwards, over the edge. Marth dolphin slashed in an attempt to recover, but failed, and fell.  
After Marth had reappeared, he back flipped to the other entrance of the cavern, and proceeded down, catching Link off guard. Marth saw an opportunity, took a lucky swing, and managed to K.O. Link with one shot. It was at this point he took a moment to realize his surroundings. He realized the Master Hand had been announcing the entire time, Marth had just been too focused to notice.  
"And an avenger K.O. delivered by Marth! That's excellent form! But Link is coming back for his say!" Marth turned just in time to parry an attack from Link. He swung a couple times, knocking Link backwards, then rushed forward, using just his forward force to deliver another attack, knocking Link back further. He put the tip of his sword to Link's neck.  
"I should kill you right now." He said, venom in his voice. Link looked up, startled. Marth reached down swiftly, grabbing Link's tunic by the collar and easily lifting him, then tossed him over the edge. By the time Link realized what was happening, it was too late. He attempted a recovery, but in vain. The platform healed him, and transported him back into the headquarters.  
"And the winner, by knockouts, is Marth!" Hyrule temple changed back into a normal arena, and the bridges began extending again. The entire crowd rose to applaud him. Samus did the same. She felt a wave of relief wash over her, and cheered that Marth had won. She turned, and left the podium, heading down to meet Marth as he exited.  
  
She met Link back at his quarters.  
"Hey Link. I saw the fight. You did pretty well." Link looked up, startled.  
"Oh, Zelda. You scared me."  
"Oh, I'm sorry. I just came to... to talk to you about something."  
Link frowned. "What?"  
"Well... it's about the Ice Climbers."  
"Oh, not you, too! I didn't murder them! Just because I lost to them doesn't mean I'd go and murder them!" He exploded. "Who got you convinced it was me? Was it Marth? God damn him, I swear, I'll-"  
"Link, calm down!" Zelda cried. She'd never heard him like this, and frankly, it was a little scary. "First of all, it was Samus who told me about Marth's suspicion, and second, I never said I accused you. I came here to tell you to be careful. I care about you, and I don't want you to do anything that may incriminate you. The whole of headquarters has you on unofficial alert. Hell, you should be thankful the Master Hand let you duel!" She took a deep breath after this.  
Link just stood silent for a moment, refusing to meet her eyes. "I'm sorry. You're right, I need to calm down a bit. But it's just so frustrating. I can't walk down the hall without seeing people's eyes, seeing the hatred, and the mistrust. I can't stand that look."  
Zelda put a hand on his shoulder. "I know, Link. Don't worry about it. As long as you know you didn't do it, you're fin. I'm sure Samus and Marth will find the real killer. I have faith in them. Then, you'll be free of suspicion, and people will even be apologizing to you because they were wrongfully rude to you. Alright?"  
Link finally met her eyes. He loved her eyes. "Alright."  
Zelda smiled. "Good." She looked at the clock in Link's room. 11:30. She looked back at him. "You want to go do something?"  
"Sure."  
  
"That was great!" Samus cheered as she hugged Marth. Finally, she let go. Marth smiled.  
"You see?" He said, with a laugh in his voice. "I told you he wouldn't be any trouble."  
"Well, ok," She agreed. "but you should still be careful. He could have had some trick up his sleeve, and cheated to beat you. You may have even been hurt."  
But Marth remained unphased. "Nah, he wasn't even somewhat of a challenge. I could take him with one hand tied behind my back." At that exact moment, Link walked up.  
"Oh, hey Link. Back for seconds?" Link drew his sword. In a flash, Marth's was out, ready to fight.  
"NO!" Samus yelled, stepped between the two. "I am not going to let either of you ruin your chances in the arena by fighting here. I think it would be best if neither of you talked to each other for a while."  
"Screw that, Samus." Link said, anger in his voice. "Step out of the way, while I kill him."  
"What?" Samus said, focusing on Link.  
"I'll kill him. He killed Zelda, I kill him." 


	3. Long Live the Princess

--- Disclaimer: If I owned Super Smash Bros. Melee, Nintendo, or any of the other things referenced in this story, you think I'd be writing this story? ---  
  
It was horrible. Zelda had been hung by her hands from her fan, and apparently cut up rather nastily with a sword. It took great force to restrain Link. They eventually strapped him to a table, incapacitating him, for the most part. He still swore at great lengths.  
The Master Hand had shown up for this. "The third murder in two days." He looked to Samus and Marth. "Who the Hell is killing my money?"  
Marth was the first to answer. "It's Link. It had to be. No one else was there. You heard it yourself; he was the only one with her. I fear Link is suffering from multiple personality disorder. On one hand, he's nice, loveable Link, however, in a flash he can become a horrible murderer, capable of just about anything."  
The Master Hand thought about this information, while watching Link struggle against his bonds. "Samus," He finally said. "What is your belief, your opinion about this? You think Link did it?"  
"I happen to agree with Marth. That explanation would seem to make the most sense, so, it's the one I'm currently going with."  
The Master Hand nodded. "Good then. Alright, Dr. Mario!" Dr. Mario quickly ran up.  
"Yes?"  
"Take Lin- take that table up to the hospital. Keep it under lock and key if you must, understood? All clues currently point to Link, so, for the moment, treat him as though you would a psychopathic murderer, got it?"  
Dr. Mario nodded. "Yes, sir, right away." Donkey Kong came over to help Dr. Mario haul the table, with Link attached, kicking and screaming, away.  
The Master Hand turned back to Samus and Marth. "Alright, I suppose I should reward you two for getting rid of Link for me. Thanks to you, we'll still be bringing in enough money, though Zelda was a nice source of income. What would you two like?"  
The two thought about it. "Tell you what," The Master Hand finally said. "you come to me anytime, with anything, and I'll make it happen, alright?" The two nodded their consent. The Master Hand smiled.  
"Excellent. Now then, since there's been so much drama, we will postpone any further matches until tomorrow. So, go about your business, and whatnot." He walked out, going the way Link had been hauled out. Samus turned to Marth.  
"I – I can't believe it..." She said in a low voice, so the others couldn't hear. "I can't believe she's actually dead. Why would he murder Zelda in cold blood?" Marth just shook his head, putting an arm around her, to comfort her.  
"I don't know, Samus. He's a killer. That's his reason." Samus tried to be comforted, but she couldn't take it. She rushed off to her quarters. Marth let her go, watching her run. He knew how bad she felt, and understood she needed some time alone.  
Just then, Roy walked up next to Marth. "Hey man. Samus is taking Zelda's death pretty hard, isn't she?" Marth just nodded.  
"I feel sorry for her. But it's a good thing that Link was locked up. Now the drama can stop. Now we can return to leading ordinary lives. Right?"  
Marth shrugged. "I sure hope so." He looked back at the scene. Zelda's body now rested on her bed, and several people were mourning next to it. Zelda had been a good friend to many people, and her death had a huge impact. It was a good thing the Marth versus Link fight had brought in so much, because Marth didn't think, whether the Master Hand would like it or not, many would not be fighting for a while.  
  
Falcon walked up to Dr. Mario.  
"Oh, hey Captain. How may I be of service?"  
"I would like to speak with Link." Dr. Mario was a bit taken aback by this.  
"Are you sure? He is suspected as the murderer, so, you know, he could be dangerous."  
Falcon nodded. "I'm sure I can handle him, if he gets out of hand."  
Dr. Mario just shrugged, resigning the argument. "Alright." He took Falcon over to a large metal door, inserted a key, and opened it. Apparently, Link had yet to be removed from the table. He instantly began yelling. Dr. Mario just walked off, as if he were used to it.  
"Let me out of this prison!! It was Marth!" Falcon closed the door and walked up to him.  
"Hey, calm down. I'm here to see what I can do about getting you out."  
Link finally stopped yelling. "Yeah? What are you going to do about it?"  
"Well, I'm not going to do something illegal and just let you out, but I am going to ask you for your side of the story. What happened? And give me details. The whole headquarters knows that 'Marth did it'. I want to know how, when, and where."  
Link took a couple deep breaths, calming down. He knew that the Captain was trying to help him, so yelling would probably lessen the chances of his getting out.  
"Alright. Zelda had just come up to my room to talk to me. We talked about the Ice Climbers incident, and she sort of helped me through it. Around eleven thirty, she said she was going to go get changed, since we were going to go out. So, I walked her to her room, which, as you know, is just a couple away from mine, then went back to mine, to freshen up. When I went back, I see a guy – I see Marth, in a red cape, running out of the room. I didn't say anything to him, I just went inside Zelda's room. I first thought she was trying to have an affair or something, but then I saw her, just like you did. I didn't touch a thing."  
Falcon sat in a chair next to him, thinking about this story. If what he said were true, it would be hard to prove. Marth had a stone-cold alibi. He was with Samus the entire time, celebrating his victory, in his white armor. Plus, why would he want to murder Zelda? That would just make Samus upset. He finally spoke.  
"Thanks, Link. I'll see what I can do with that information. I'll get back to you." Falcon rose, walking out of the room as Dr. Mario locked it behind him.  
  
"That son of a bitch!" Samus cried. Marth sat next to her, trying his best to console her.  
"It's alright, Samus. They've locked him up; he won't be doing any harm to anyone anymore, alright?"  
"No, it's not alright!" She exploded. Marth knew Link was in danger, and was trying to stall Samus' rage until it cooled down, because otherwise, she wouldn't kill him, she would destroy him. "He murdered my best friend, in cold blood! It's not alright! He deserves the exact same thing Zelda got!" She headed for the door, but Marth stepped in her way, blocking her.  
"Marth, get out of my way. He is going to die at my hands." But Marth remained firm.  
"No, Samus. If you kill him, you become exactly what he has. The insane murderer, tied up to a table in the psycho ward. You become the one of ridicule. Think about it. He's ruined. Even if it turns out not to be him, he'll never be looked at quite the same way again. He'll always be the guy who lost it. Don't become that, Samus. He's dead, to the world. Don't become that."  
Samus' rage still boiled inside of her as she thought about this. Finally, she nodded. She turned around, and punched the wall, putting her fist through it. After a moment, she let out one of the longest, most tortured screams Marth had ever heard, though it wasn't because her hand hurt. She turned back to Marth again.  
"Marth..." She said, looking at the floor. "I'm sorry, but... could I be alone tonight?"  
Marth studied her. "Are you alright?"  
She nodded, still keeping her gaze transfixed to the floor. "Yeah, I just... I want to be alone."  
"You promise you won't go kill Link?"  
"I – I promise."  
"You sure?"  
"Yeah."  
After a moment of silence, Marth nodded slightly. "Ok. I'll check up on you tomorrow morning, alright?"  
Samus nodded again, this time remaining silent.  
"Ok." Marth turned, showing himself out. He looked around for a moment, and then decided to go to the lounge.  
  
"All I'm saying is," Young Link started. "I deserve to be locked up, since it's inevitable that I become that, seven years from now."  
"But you don't, you see?" Marth argued. "He didn't have the same background you did. He didn't grow up here, where as you did, so you're going to have an entire lifestyle change from him. You could be entirely different from him, in fact. You might decide that blue should be your hair color, or that you'd much rather be a woman. You aren't him."  
"Well that may be true, but the basic primal instinct to kill is still there. I read that once. It was this story about these twins, who grew up in entirely different settings, one was rich, the other poor, one was smarter than the other, and they never ever knew each other, and yet they both ended up becoming psycho mass murderers. In separate interviews with them, they both said the instinct to kill was in them from the time that they were 11. I'm 13!"  
"Is that so? And have you ever thought of killing someone? And I don't mean, 'Oh, damn, Fox beat me, I'm going to kill him', I mean ever thought about how you would kill someone, what they would do, and how you would get away with it? Have you ever seriously considered it, is what I'm saying."  
"Well, no, I haven't... so what does that mean?"  
Marth shrugged, his face expressionless. "Well, perhaps I made a fallacy. I can be wrong, you know. It is possible." He rose.  
"So... what, are you going to go do something about it?"  
"Oh, no, I can't. They'd be too suspicious."  
"Oh..."  
"But you know," Marth said as he began to leave. "It's surprising what kids can get away with these days. I mean, they've got the size thing going for them, and then, even if they are caught, they can just get away with being... 13, say." He flashed a quick smile to Young Link before exiting the lounge, leaving Young Link with his thoughts.  
  
Dr. Mario was looking over some prescriptions before retiring for the night. It was probably for the best that he was the doctor of the headquarters. If just about any of the other smashers knew what the others were taking, he didn't think the end of it would ever be heard. He smiled to himself as he finished. He closed the cabinet, putting the key in to lock it, when he heard a scream, followed by a crunch. He ran over to the sound. Jigglypuff lay on the floor across the corner, clutching her leg, which was bent at an odd angle. Dr. Mario pulled out some equipment, and got to work straightening it. His pockets were deceptively large.  
  
Young Link took the chance. He ran behind the desk, and spotted the keys right away, halfway into a cabinet keyhole. He took the entire ring of keys, figuring he would cross that bridge when he came to it. He leapt over the desk, and made a bee-line for Link's room.  
Finally, he found it. He jumped up, looking through the bars at the top. At about the fifth jump, he was pretty much sure that it was Link, even though it was dark, so he fumbled with the keys, and noticed that one had H8 on it. He looked up, to a sign hanging from the veiling. Wing H. He looked at the number on the door. 8. He shrugged, and tried it, successfully.  
He snuck in. Link was asleep, so Young Link darted out of the room, adrenaline aiding his speed. He ran by the desk. Dr. Mario still wasn't there. He tossed the keys over, then ran faster than lightning down the hall, towards his quarters. He leapt on his bed, pulled the blankets over him, and waited.  
  
Link awoke. Something had been near him not too long ago. He reached up and scratched the back of his head, trying to – wait. He scratched his head again. There was something definitely wrong with that action, he just wasn't entirely sure what it was. He did it again. Then he pulled his leg up, because it itched, too. Then he realized: he was free! The bonds were cut away. And a crack of light shone through the edge of the door. It was open!  
He hopped out of bed, grabbing his weapons, and putting them on. He said a silent prayer to Captain Falcon, then rushed out of the room, knowing exactly where he was going.  
  
Dr. Mario patted Jigglypuff on the head. "Don't worry. In a couple days, that'll be fine. You can walk on it, but don't duel, and no landing on it after doing long jumps, alright?" Jigglypuff nodded.  
"Jiggly!" It said happily, hobbling off down the hall. Dr. Mario chuckled to himself, as he put everything back in his pockets. He didn't understand the new generation. He'd never been that reckless at that age. Ah, well, maybe it was their thing. Personally, Tom Petty was his thing.  
He walked back to the desk, remembering he'd checked the prescriptions, and reached for the keys. He did it again. After the third time, he realized he wasn't actually missing, they just weren't there. But they weren't too far away. They were just a small way away, on the floor. Dr. Mario frowned. Hadn't he left those in the lock? And one was singled out. H8. His face went white.  
As fast as his legs could take him, he raced down the hall, images appearing in his head. He arrived at his destination. The door was closed. Good. He opened the door, and looked in.  
That was not good.  
Everything was gone. The blankets were thrown off the table, and all of Link's things, including Link himself, were missing. He immediately ran back to the desk, picked up the phone, and called the Master Hand.  
  
Falcon sat in his armchair, thinking. For the moment, he was not favoring any one theory, though he was thinking in the mind frame that Link hadn't told a single lie. How could Marth possibly have gotten there and back in the... what, ten, fifteen seconds where no one knew where he was?  
He sighed, looking at the sheet in front of him. Practice times for yesterday. Pichu and Pikachu: 4:17; Yoshi and Mario: 5:17; Fox and Falco: 6:30; Samus and Zelda: 9:10; Marth and Roy: 9:23; and finally, Bowser and Ganondorf, creatures of night, at 3:57. He looked at it again. Just then, he realized what had happened. Link hadn't been lying, except about one thing. It all made sense now. But who should he tell first?  
  
Roy had just learned Link was loose. He had to find Marth.  
After checking the lounge, the pub, and the gym, he walked to Marth's quarters. He knocked on the door.  
Rap rap rap! Nothing.  
Again. Rap rap rap! Still nothing.  
"Marth? Marth, are you in there?" Silence. He tried the door. Unlocked.  
Roy slowly opened the door. The bed was nice and made. The mirror was polished, and neatly hanging above the bed. The dresser was clear. Roy walked in a bit more. Maybe he'd just make himself comfortable until Marth showed up.  
Just then, an arm went around his neck, and a sword went to his back. "How's it going?" A voice said from behind him.  
"Wait, wait, no, don't kill me!"  
"Why shouldn't I? You killed her, now you need to die."  
"Wait, no, I don't! I could... umm, do community service... and besides, y-"  
"Besides nothing!" The voice hissed. "You need to be murdered. You should have known this would come. Did you really think you'd get away with it forever? Did you really think that you wouldn't have to be killed?"  
"Well, you know, I was kind of hoping..."  
"Aww, too bad. This is one dream where your hopes don't come true. This is one dream where, in about five seconds, I plunge this sword through your heart."  
"No, no, I can do something, anything, to-"  
"Five."  
"Ah, damn. No, please, I have things to live for."  
"That's right: Four."  
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no..."  
"Three."  
Roy just stood, silent. He realized there would be no talking this man out of what he was going to do. Maybe if he could get his sword...  
"Two."  
But he was nervous! What if he missed, then the swordsman missed, and he was stabbed through... the leg, or something? Then he'd been in deep crap, because his death would be slower!  
"One."  
Now or never! Now or never! Now or never!  
He reached up as fast as possible, but the swordsman was faster. In a second, Roy's arm was off, and in the next, a sword was through his heart. The last thing Roy saw were the swordsman's lips, mouthing the words 'I win'. 


	4. The Truth is Told

--- Disclaimer: If you need me to tell you by now that I don't own Super Smash Bros. Melee, Nintendo, or anything else referenced in this story, you need to seek out professional help. ---  
  
Samus walked into the Master Hand's office. He looked up from his papers.  
"Ah, Samus, come in, have a seat. What can I do for you?"  
She took a seat, along with a breath or two. "You remember that favor?" She asked quietly. The Master Hand nodded. "Sure I do."  
"Well, I'd like to use it... I'd like you to do something for me."  
"Name it."  
"I'd like you to kill Link."  
This took the Master Hand by surprise. "Excuse me?"  
"You have him restrained. Just go and give him a lethal injection or something. Plunge a dagger through his heart."  
"Now, Samus, I understand that you were close with Zelda, but we still haven't proven he's the one. Until we know that for sure, we can't really do anything more to Link."  
Samus exploded. "What more proof do you need!?" She yelled, abruptly rising from her seat, knocking it back some. "He was there! No one else was! He's a psychopathic MURDERER! KILL HIM!!!" She seemed ready to kill the Master Hand herself, however, he remained calm, looking into her eyes, his hands folded on his desk. After a moment, he spoke.  
"Are you finished?" He asked her. She panted for a moment, nodding.  
"Good. Would you mind putting the chair back where it was?" Samus turned, pulling the chair back, and sitting in it.  
"Thank you. Now then, like I said, we can do nothing until we know for sure that he is a psychopathic murderer. I'm sorry, Samus."  
She was about to say something, when the phone rang. The Master Hand held up a finger, to signify he would be with her in a moment.  
"Master Hand speaking. Oh, hello, doctor. What's going on? I can't – I can't understand you. Slow down. There you go. Now, what happened? Really? Oh, well, that's shit. Ok, I'll be there momentarily." He hung the phone up and looked at Samus. "I think you should come with me."  
  
Dr. Mario paced back and forth. Finally, the Master Hand arrived. Samus was with him.  
"Hello, doctor." He said. "Let's see it." Dr. Mario led them to room H8, opening it and letting them look inside. Deserted.  
"Son of a _bitch_!" Samus said. She looked around, hoping to notice him or something, but they were the only ones in the area.  
"How did he get out?" Master Hand inquired.  
"Well, I was just packing up for the night, when I heard someone scream, so I left the keys where they were. Link must have had a person on the outside nab the keys and let him out. I found the keys on the ground near the cabinet."  
"Ok. Who screamed?"  
"Oh, Jigglypuff. She broke her leg while practicing her long jump."  
"Ah. Alright. Any suspects about the outside man?"  
"Actually, now that you mention it, I may have one. Captain Falcon wanted to talk to Link not too long ago. I didn't listen to their conversation, but yeah, Falcon is fast enough, he could have done it."  
"Anyone else?"  
"Not that I can think of."  
"Wait, wait..." Samus interjected, as she scanned the ground. "There's two sets of footprints here... invisible to the unaided eye, but... whatever the wearers were wearing, it's the exact same material, but the one that is coming out and away from the front desk is roughly... seven years older than the other set."  
"Seven years..." The Master Hand pondered.  
"Young Link!" They all exclaimed.  
  
Falcon raced down the halls. He'd decided he needed to find Samus. She was in the most trouble. He checked her quarters, but she was gone. He passed by Zelda's quarters, just to make sure. Then he decided to check the hospital.  
When he got there, he found Samus, the Master Hand, Dr. Mario, and Marth around the body of Roy. Marth was the first one to notice Falcon.  
"Oh, hey Falcon. Link strikes again. He got Roy. Cut his arm off, then pierced him through the heart." Falcon kept his distance, though, watching them.  
"Ah... uh, Samus, could I maybe talk to you, in private, or something?" She stood up, and walked over. Marth watched suspiciously. Falcon led her around a corner. Marth walked up and stood on the other edge of the corner, listening.  
"Samus... I know who the killer is."  
"Of course. We all know. It's Link."  
"No, no, that's what he wants us to think. Samus, I hate to tell you think, but the killer... the killer is Marth."  
Silence for a moment, then, "What?"  
"Marth killed Nana. He killed Popo. And he probably killed Roy, too."  
"No, you're mistaken. Marth wouldn't do that. And besides, I was with him when Link killed Zelda, so it couldn't be him."  
Falcon's voice was exited now. "That's the genius part of it. People saw him when she was murdered, so they ruled him out, and marked Link off as insane when he said he saw, with his own eyes, Marth run out of the room after killing her, in his red armor, when Marth was wearing white. That's because Link never saw his face. It wasn't Marth he saw, but Roy!  
"You see, Roy is the perfect size to replace Marth, and knows all his techniques, so he'd be a perfect Marth look-alike. And they had to make sure Link saw Roy run off. They probably had a wig, to fix the hair, and the red armor so Link wouldn't instantly see the blood, and therefore wouldn't be instantly suspicious, and by the time he did find out, Roy was gone and changed."  
"No. I won't believe you. I won't. He comforted me. If he was trying to get rid of Link, then he would have let me kill him, instead of protecting him. It wasn't Marth. Link and Young Link are working together."  
There was a pause, Marth could tell someone was moving, then, "Hey – where'd Marth go?"  
Shit! Marth dove as fast and quietly as he could into one of the patient's rooms, then checked the bed. No one in it. Good. He lay down, pulling the blanket up to cover part of his face. At that exact moment, Falcon opened the door. Fortunately, he didn't turn on a light.  
"Sir, did you see someone enter this room?  
Marth strained his voice a bit, disguising it. "No, I didn't."  
Falcon nodded. "Right then. Thanks anyways.  
"No problem." Falcon closed the door. Marth let out a huge sigh of relief. He waited for a moment, then got up, and peeked out the window. All of them had their backs turned, facing Roy. Marth slipped out and headed away from them, taking the first turn he could to get out of their line of sight.  
  
Link looked nervously around. No one. That's when the intercom spoke. "Attention smashers and well-paying guests. We would like to warn you that there are two potentially dangerous men walking these halls, Link, and Young Link."  
"A-and Marth! Ow, dammit, that hurt!" Falcon said. Link couldn't help but laugh. At least Falcon knew the truth. But what did Young Link have to do with this? Maybe he should go find him.  
Then again, Falcon had said that Marth was wandering the halls with him. This had suddenly become a very deadly labyrinth game. He could only hope that Young Link was on his side.  
That's when he heard it. It was almost inaudible, however, any swordsman could recognize it. Someone had just been run through with a sword. Marth was near.  
Link was actively looking for him where he'd heard the noise. That's when he noticed a piece of evidence very crucial in knowing he was near where Marth had been. Peach lay on the floor, stabbed through the back. Then he smiled. There was a small blood drip trail leading away.  
_I have you_... Link thought to himself. He followed it straight for a little ways, then saw it went around a corner. He went around the corner – and nearly lost his head.  
Marth swung again, and Link jumped back. "Holy shit!" Was all he managed to get out before Marth swung again. This time, he connected, slicing through Link's left ulna.  
"Ah, dammit!" Link yelled, staggering backwards. Marth easily knocked his sword away.  
"Well, well, well, what do we have here? A helpless knight, perhaps? Yes, I thought so. You know, you make a good murderer. But, there is one thing you failed on. And that would be, of course, actually murdering people. Now, see, people like me," He stabbed Link's right thigh, causing Link to scream in pain as he fell to the floor. "we relish murdering people. So, while you're a useful decoy, that's just about all you're good for. And now it's time to tie up that loose end." At that moment, a boomerang hit him in the back. He turned, now staring down Young Link.  
"I'll never let you kill him!" Young Link said. He readied his sword.  
Marth laughed. "You really think you can stop me, child?" He stepped forward, and in one fluid motion, knocked the sword out of Young Link's hand, then slashed him across the chest. Young Link dropped to his knees, then fell face down, clutching his chest.  
"Hey Marth!" A deep voice boomed from behind. Marth turned to see Bowser and Ganondorf standing there, grinning at him.  
"Yes?"  
"We're going to have to kill you now, you little punk."  
"Bring it on." Marth rushed at them, and at the last moment, sidestepped behind them. He slashed Ganondorf twice, then leapt over them as they turned. He stabbed Bowser in the hell, then turned and fled down the hall, as Bowser lay on his back, yelling about his foot. Ganondorf gave chase.  
Marth came upon the arena. He ran up to the control room, and set the arena for Final Destination, just one big solid platform, then transported himself there. As he suspected, Ganondorf followed.  
"What a fool." Marth laughed when Ganondorf arrived. "You didn't even put on a belt? Shame. Because since there's no one up there," He motioned to the control room. "the platform isn't going to save your life. So, I guess this is where you die."  
Ganondorf frowned. "Me die? What about you? You aren't wearing one, either!"  
"That may be true," Marth grinned as he walked up to Ganondorf. "but then again, I'm good." With a fluid motion, he tripped Ganondorf, then back flipped as he fell. Marth ran forward again, grabbing Ganondorf by the back of the next, and, with some effort, lifted him, then tossed him over the edge.  
Ganondorf leapt in mid-air, just barely hitting the edge. He climbed back up to face Marth, sword on the ready.  
"You little freak! You die this day!" Ganondorf yelled, and charged Marth. Marth side-stepped again, then stabbed Ganondorf in the leg as he went down.  
"Stop!" A voice yelled from behind him. Captain Falcon, accompanied by Samus, stood facing him, on the platform. Ganondorf twisted to look, causing his leg more pain, since the sword still rested inside of it.  
"Marth, I'm going to have to place you under arrest." Falcon said, but Samus spoke up in his defense.  
"No, look who he's fighting! It was probably Ganondorf all along that was doing it!" Marth nodded.  
"It was. He explained it all to me, just before we came here. That's why I was trying to kill him!"  
"Lying son of a bitch!" Ganondorf cried, leaping on Marth. He grabbed a fistful of hair, and was about to slam Marth's head into the ground when Falcon rushed over, removing the hand. Marth slid out from under him.  
"Ganondorf, just stay still for a moment. Marth, we are taking you in."  
"Who's this 'we'?" Samus asked. "I'm not letting you take him anywhere."  
Marth flashed a quick smile to Falcon. "You heard the woman. She's not letting you take me anywhere." Falcon couldn't take it. He leapt at Marth, but Marth nimbly dodged, and Falcon went over the edge.  
"Damn you, Marth!!" He yelled as he fell. He looked at the ground, which was rapidly coming to greet him with a big hug.  
  
Samus looked over the edge. "Oh, my God..." She whispered. Marth just stood with a look of contempt.  
"One more nuisance rid of." He walked over to Samus. "Thanks, Sam, for defending me. Now, there's something I have to do for you."  
Samus looked up. "What's that?"  
Marth used all his force to push her over the edge. Samus screamed, pointing her cannon at the edge, and firing her grappling hook, managing to grab hold. She pulled herself up, aiming both feet directly at Marth's chest, and connecting as she came up. He flew back a bit, landing on his back, then rose.  
"Damn, it seems we're going to have to do this the long way." He could see the hurt look on Samus' face, through her visor.  
"Marth, what are you doing?"  
"Oh, well, you see, you're alive, and I'm not ok with that. So, I'm about to kill you."  
She still couldn't handle it. "But... so what Falcon said... that was-"  
"All true." Marth finished. "Roy is such the good little pawn, doing basically whatever I'd needed. But you see, when Link got out, thanks to me, I suddenly realized that Roy would soon be contacted. So, I disposed of him, since you can never trust someone who isn't, well, you." He smiled. "So, in a sense, I avenged Zelda's death. Aren't you happy for me?"  
"But – but why? Why did you kill people?"  
"Because, fool. I wanted to. But no, I suppose that isn't really a good reason, now is it. Now, let's try, because of you?"  
"Me?"  
"Yes, you. It was all because of you. I have been trying to think of a way to come up with something this grand for a while, and when the Ice Climbers thrashed Link, my opportunity arose. But, you know _how_ I did it. Your question was _why_. Why would I kill all these people, just because of you?  
"And the answer is, simply, to torture you. Psychologically, of course. To drive you insane. So insane, perhaps, that you could be driven to murder. Do you think you could do it? Do you really think you could murder someone?"  
"No! I would never kill another human!"  
"Never! Never, she says. Not even murder someone like, say, me?"  
This caught Samus off-guard. "What?"  
"Don't you watch horror movies? Or read murder mysteries? There's always a killer, and a hero. I've proven I'm the killer. The hero position is still open, Sam. Are you going to take it? Because this is it. This is the showdown. This is the climactic battle between good and evil! Think about it. Final Destination. You think I chose it randomly? One of us is walking out of here alive, Samus. And one of us is going to make sure Falcon isn't too lonely. So, which of us is it? It's your call. Are you a hero, or aren't you?"  
Samus stared into his eyes. Into the eyes of the man she still loved. He grinned back at her, a wicked grin. Suddenly, he rushed forward, sword blazing. He swung with all of his force, but Samus rolled away. She rose again, and, sadness filling her, accepted the role she knew she would have to. She aimed her cannon, and fired a missile at him. He ducked under it, and charged her gain. She balled up and jumped, sparks flying everywhere. Marth was brought up with her, electricity coursing through him.  
He fell on the platform, landing on his back. Samus fired a shot at him, but he was up again, dodging with ease.  
"Come, come now, Sam. Is that the best you can do?" She ran forward, throwing a punch, but Marth was ready. He countered it, and slashed her armor, sending her back a bit, and weakening the armor. She fired another missile, coming very close to hitting, but Marth was too fast for it. He came up, swinging his sword like a madman. Samus fired her grappling hook, hitting him in the chest. She brought him in, then slammed him into the ground. Marth grunted in pain, which raised her morale. He could be hurt.  
She rolled back just in time to dodge his sword taking her ankle off. She then rushed forward, leaping only slightly, and leaving two bombs before rolling away. Both hit Marth, burning his cape around the edges. He growled.  
"You pathetic fool!" These words stung more than any of the hits she had ever taken ever had. "Give it up!" He charged again, landing a powerful blow to her arm cannon. Suddenly, her visor flashed the words, "Arm cannon malfunction".  
"Shit!" She said as she dodged his next attack, but he dolphin slashed, sending her up into the air, and over the edge. She leapt back up, but Marth was ready. He grabbed her, and tossed her up in the air, stepping back as she landed with a very heavy THUD! Then he laughed, watching her.  
"Now, I know what you're thinking. 'But, the hero always wins! Jamie Lee over Mike Meyers! Austin Powers over Dr. Evil! Hannibal Lecter over Buffalo Bill! Well, I'm sorry, dear Samus, but this fight is going to resemble more of... 'Empire Strikes Back'. You know, where the Empire doesn't take it anymore, and obliterates a large part of the rebel forces?" He reached down, grabbed Samus by the neck, and lifted her up. "So, goodbye, rebel." He stuck his sword through her, piercing her armor, and tossed her over the edge as he laughed, watching her fall.  
  
--- Author's note: Yes, I am leaving right here at this point in the chapter, because the chapter is over. Yes, I am evil, and yes, I will be waiting an entire day before posting the next chapter. So remember, if you hunt me down and shoot me, you'll never know what happens. Wait for the last chapter before doing that. --- 


	5. The Final Murder

--- Disclaimer: The story you are about to read is false. Any occurrences similar to real happenings to real people, alive or dead, have been researched thoroughly before the making of this story. Also, the author would like to point out that he doesn't own Super Smash Bros.: Melee, Nintendo, or anything else referenced in this story.  
  
Author's Note: Here it is. The moment you've been waiting for. What will happen to Marth? Will he live? Will he die? Will he wake up and go, "Damn, what an excellent idea!"? Find out! ---  
  
Kirby ran into the control room. He looked down at the stadium, and saw Marth talking to Samus. Then, he just picked her up, speared her, and tossed her over the side.  
"Oh, no!" He cried. He looked over the controls, and quickly began typing. The Master Hand had asked Kirby to go to the control room, because Kirby was the only one who understood the computer well enough to operate the platform. He was behind the scenes in almost every fight, saving people from almost certain death. He had to get the exact coordinates on everything just perfectly, or the platform would show up in the wrong spot. He hurriedly fixed the platform, and recovered Samus just in time. He gave a sigh of relief.  
  
Marth laughed, turning. He had slain the most powerful enemy of his. But, as soon as he had turned, a fist connected with his face, filling him with a mysterious dark energy. He yelled out, falling to the ground.  
"Get ready to die, swordsman." Ganondorf said. But Marth rolled behind him, rising almost magically. His sword easily sliced through Ganondorf's right arm, then smacked him in the head with the flat of his sword. Ganondorf dropped.  
Marth stood over the body in contempt. He raised his sword up, about to plunge it through Ganondorf, when a large energy blast hit him in his back. He flew over the edge, but his hand lashed out, grabbing the edge, and he flipped back up.  
"How the Hell?" He asked, as he saw Samus stand before him. He looked up to the control room. Kirby stood at the controls, ready for anything.  
"Little punk!" Marth screamed, whipping a dagger out of a sleeve of his now very torn up and burned cape, and flung it with deadly aim, piercing straight through Kirby. Samus looked up, only for a moment, then back at Marth. She fired two missiles at Marth, a homing missile followed by a more powerful one. Both connected. Marth was badly injured now. He rested for just a moment before rising.  
"Well, well. Mans de Dieu. The hand of God. However, it seems as though Kirby has been slain, so, I wouldn't be too hopeful for it happening again."  
Samus, however, kept her face still. "Good. Because now you die." She fired another missile. Marth dodged it, and rushed forward. He slashed, connecting with her armor. She punched Marth in the chest with her arm cannon, denting the armor. Marth staggered back. She walked forward, and smashed him in the face, backhanding him with the arm cannon. He yelled in pain, clutching his face. Samus leapt up, and kicked the hand that held his sword. It whipped back, flinging the sword off the edge.  
"No... no, my sword! I can't fight without my sword!" Samus looked down at him as he rose. The instant he was up, she put her arm cannon to his head. "I'm placing you under arrest, Marth."  
Marth looked at her, confused. "You – you're not going to kill me?"  
Samus waited a long time, gun on the ready, before finally shaking her head. "No. I'm not going to kill you. But I don't think you'll live too long after you go to court."  
Marth laughed. "I can't believe you're not going to kill me!" Then, without a moment's notice, he slammed into Samus, taking her to the ground, using only brute force. She shot her cannon, but hit only air.  
Marth reached around the back of her neck, flipping a switch, which released the locks on her helmet. He knocked it away, and punched Samus in the face, breaking her nose.  
Samus cried out in pain. "Not so powerful without your suit, are you? This is the moment I relish. Killing you with my bare hands." That's when he felt something grab his leg, and lift him off of Samus. Ganondorf took the leg in both of his hands, and, with all his force, slammed Marth into the ground.  
"Shit..." Marth said, just before his head fatally connected with the ground. Ganondorf tossed the body over the edge, then looked at Samus. "You alright?" Samus nodded, looking up at him.  
"You saved me... why?" Ganondorf shrugged. He toyed with the thought that he may have feelings for her, but instead said, "What goes around comes around. You shot him, I pick him up and slam him into the ground." He smiled, and reached his hand down. She took it, and stood up. After getting her helmet, she looked around.  
"How do we get out?" As if on cue, the Master Hand walked into the control room, and waved. Final Destination faded away, and the bridges extended, connecting with the now plain arena. Samus looked over the edge. Falcon and Marth lay almost right next to each other, Marth's sword quite a distance away.  
As they left the arena, Master Hand greeted them, shaking their hands.  
"Congratulations, you two. I thank you for what you did. Marth was a psychopathic murderer, but thanks to you, he won't be killing anymore." Then he said, more to Samus than Ganondorf, "If you wish to take a leave of absence while you recover, that would be entirely fine. I'll still give you a pay, and everything. I can understand that it would be hard, to do what you did." Samus looked at the ground, and nodded slightly.  
"Thank you, Master Hand." She said quietly, then turned, heading to her quarters.  
  
Three days later, the remaining smashers were gathered together. The Master Hand was giving medals to those who had participated.  
"Link, please step forward." He smiled, rising and walking forward.  
"Link, I feel we all owe you an apology. We wrongfully accused you of murder, and for the entire crew, I apologize. For courage even in the face of despair, I award you this medal." Link bowed, and Master Hand hung the medal around his neck. Link went back to sit with Dr. Mario, Ganondorf, and Bowser, who had all previously gotten their respective medals.  
"And lastly, I would like to give this medal to Samus Aran. Samus, would you please come forward?" Samus rose. She still wasn't over what she had been forced to do.  
"Samus, you made the greatest sacrifice of all. You lost a best friend, and you lost a lover. And yet, in the face of this, you saved us all from a powerful danger. For this, I award you this medal." She bowed her head, and the Master Hand hung it around her neck. She then returned to her seat, her eyes not meeting anyone else's.  
"And now, let us have a moment of silence for those who lost their lives fighting this fight." They all bowed their heads. Samus tried to change her thoughts, but, try as she might to remove them, images of Marth remained in her head. A silent, unnoticed tear rolled down her cheek.  
  
--- Author's Note: Well, there you have it, folks. Now, for the interesting part, a part I like to call, "But what about...?" In this story, spanning the 5 chapters, whether you believe me or not, I mentioned every single character at least once. What the contest involves is finding at least one sentence mentioning every character in it. (i.e. "Ness then killed the swarms." "Marth jumped off a cliff, because he felt like it" etc.) But, these have to be sentences from this story. Send the finished entry to dragoonwarrio9hotmail.com. Manage to be the FIRST one to do this, and you will not only get the copy of the epilogue the day your entry is sent, (unless you send it at 11:59... be reasonable) to the address that sent the entry, but you will also be mentioned as said winner. I may even give you a role in the epilogue. Those who fail to come in first, or who don't get every character (There are more than 25... think about it...) will have to wait until Monday or Tuesday to read the epilogue. So, alright then. Thanks for the excellent reviews, and I hope my next story has as great of a response as this one did.  
  
P.S. If you want to send me story ideas, I'll look them over... but Hell, you people are writers, if you have an idea, you'll probably write them yourself. --- 


	6. Three Years Later

--- Disclaimer: I don't own Super Smash Bros. Melee, Nintendo, or anything else referenced in this story.

The winner of said contest was, as named by this person's e-mails, Wei-Wei Lin. Congratulations.  
  
And now, the moment you've all been waiting for: The epilogue! I will distract you no further with meaningless drivel. ---  
  
Samus awoke on board her starship. She groggily looked around. The computer screen lively activated, posting that day's news. Samus scrolled through the articles, just glancing over each one. Murder in New York. Plane crashed in Nevada. Then, one caught her eye:  
  
The Horrors of Smash Headquarters  
  
_Written by our very own  
Bruce Nolan_  
  
Three years ago, there was a company known to all as the Smash Co. Within its walls was a place where you could gamble on fighters, without fear of criminal prosecution, and watch these fighters, most of whom had superhuman powers, fight nearly to the death in every match. It was a great place.  
But then, something happened. The fights became less and less interesting, as the fighters seemed to not want to battle anymore. The crowds got smaller and smaller, and soon, Smash Co. was forced out of business.  
Initial reports stated simply that they had gone under because a few fighters had died. Later, they admitted these fighters were murdered. However, not much more detail than that was ever released. Who was it that murdered them? That's what I'm here to explain.  
You see, as it turned out, one of the most respected of swordsmen, the former Altean Prince Marth, went insane, and began murdering the fighters off, one by one. However, Link was the one blamed for all the murders, and, it is believed that he was almost killed at one point in time, for his crimes.  
Then, however, the now-famous bounty hunter Samus Aran, solved the mystery behind the murders, and eventually met Marth in a head-on battle, and single-handedly defeated the swordsman, forever lifting the curse of the murders.  
After the company went under, all the fighters went their separate ways. No one is quite sure what happened to most of them, but, it's assured that most of them escaped that company with their lives. I'm Bruce Nolan, and remember, be the miracle.  
  
Samus couldn't help but smile. That was one of the most brief glances at what had actually happened that she had ever seen or read. Who did this guy think he was? God? She decided to send him an e-mail. What the Hell, she thought. She had two hours to spare, and it wouldn't take that long.  
  
Dear Mr. Nolan,  
I just read your article on Smash HQ, and I must say, I'm very... unimpressed. You have no idea what actually happened, do you? Well, since I'm bored, I'll fill you in.  
Alright. You got the basics of it right. However, you changed several things. The former F-Zero racer, Captain Falcon, was the one who actually solved the case. I was too blinded by my love for Marth to see the truth.  
And, I did not, as you say, "single-handedly" defeat Marth. I had help in the form of Ganondorf. He was actually the one who slew him. I just delayed Marth long enough to allow Ganondorf to do so.  
Also, I do know what happened to most of them. I'll even give you some filler, in case you decide to do a follow-up story about what actually happened.  
Link, mourning the loss of Zelda, took the one thing he had left from her, a special device that would teleport him to the Kokiri forest, seven years from then, in the past, and used it. He brought Ganondorf along, too. I don't know what became of them.  
Fox McCloud and Falco Lombardi went to Corneria, because Fox's father died. I'm not sure what happened there, either. Probably just one of Falco's pranks.  
Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi, mourning the needless death of Peach, headed back to Peach's Castle. Bowser followed them.  
Mr. Game & Watch went back to rule Flat Zone. Go figure.  
Pikachu, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, and Pichu, went to a land called Kanto. Don't know where that is, but I hear Pokemon abound in it.  
Dr. Mario has been fighting some diseases, from what I hear, and has gotten dangerously close to curing cancer. But if anyone deserves to cure it, it's him.  
Donkey Kong recently sent me a postcard from Kong Isle, it was one of those family pictures, you know? Really odd looking family he's got there.  
And finally, Ness went back to Onett. I never really liked the kid, so, don't ask me what happened there, either. I don't know.  
Oh, and there's me, who, as you said in your article, turned out to be a bounty hunter.  
Well, Bruce Nolan, there you go. There's your story. I have to go now. But hey, keep in touch. I feel I've got some big missions ahead of me. Maybe they'll make interesting articles. Or even novels. Good day to you, sir.  
  
- Samus Aran  
  
She logged off, sighing, and reclining in her chair. She looked to a picture next to the computer. A picture of Marth. She stared at it for a long while, thinking. Just then, her intercom went off.  
"Samus!" She snapped back to reality, looking at the screen.  
"Yes?" She recognized the face. General McGrath.  
"Samus, we've had some interesting activity reports from a planet known as... SR-388. We want you to go check it out. We'll give you twenty- thousand for it."  
"Thirty."  
"Twenty-five."  
"Twenty-seven."  
"Fine, fine, twenty-seven. But do a good job, for that price."  
"Oh, don't worry. I've seen SR-388 before. Should be just an in and out job."  
General McGrath nodded. "Yeah. In and out."


End file.
